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Neubronner 2003 family gathering at Malacca

On 14th March 2003, the Neubronner family held its worldwide family gathering at Malacca, with members of the family coming from all over Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the UK, USA and Germany. Those who came from Europe even braved the gloom prospect of war in the middle-East for this historical gathering.

The family's colourful history in the Far-East began in 1788 when an adventurous German bachelor named Johann Anton Neubronner secured a position with the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) and sailed to the Indies from the Dutch port of Texel.

Johann Anton's long sea journey aboard the good ship 'Doggerbank' was cursed with all sorts of misfortunes and mishaps. However, he diligently kept a diary of events for his family to one day learn of the hardships he endured during his tormenting 12 months at sea.

His original destination was Batavia but instead, because of widespread illness onboard the ship, he anchored at Malacca. In no mood or condition to continue his journey, Johann Anton managed to remain in Malacca as a bookkeeper for the VOC - and there he stayed.

A young German, on his own amid a Dutch colonist society and an environment of local Malays coupled with an immigrant population of predominantly Chinese, Indians and descendants of the Portuguese was strange for this European from so far away. The cultural shock would have been overwhelming at best. He wrote home expressing wonderment at the diverse cultures and religions of the Orient and of the somewhat bawdy existence of some of the European traders and settlers.

To survive in this strange and foreign land, he needed friends and patrons. He found his patron in Abraham Couperus, the Dutch Governor of Malacca who Johann Anton described as an East Frisian who helped him. He grew very close to a well-established Dutch family, the Koeks, who have their roots in Malacca from as early as the middle of the 17th century.

Johann Anton's assimilation into the Malacca Dutch society became complete when he married Catharina Koek, the sister of the prominent Dutch Burgher, Adriaan Koek. Koek was an influential person in Malacca and he eventually rose to become the Acting Governor of Malacca in 1823. The close relationship between the two families continued over the next two generations through several marriages between the Koeks and Neubronners.

Johann Anton and Catharina had nine children in the next 16 years, most of whom remained in Malacca and married into other Dutch families. The Neubronners lived in their family home in Heeren Street, acquired by Johann Anton in 1804 and which remained the family home until the death of Catharina in 1849. The very same house, at No. 111, Heeren Street was to become the ancestral home of the renowned Malaysian-Chinese politician, Tun Tan Cheng Lock.

In time, Johann Anton rose in Malacca's social world and in 1808, he was made president of the 'Weeskamer' (Orphan-Chamber), a position he held until his death in 1815. Evidence of the prominence of the family is displayed in Christ Church in the form of two commemorative plaques dedicated to his wife Catharina and his son Louis. One son, Johann Christian, was also to become President of the 'Weeskamer' in 1823 while another, Fredrich Joseph, was Deputy Sheriff of Malacca from 1842 until his death in 1847. Two other sons, Louis and Daniel set up a business as merchants in Jonker Street.

Johann Anton's eldest daughter Louisa married a prominent Dutchman, Sefridus van der Tuuk. Originally a barrister from Holland, van der Tuuk rose through the ranks of the judiciary to eventually become the President of the 'Raad van Justitie' (Court of Judicature) at Surabaya in 1836.

One of the family's notable contributions to the region came from Louisa's son, Dr Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk (1824-1894) who is considered to be one of the founders of Indonesian linguistics and is well noted for his studies into the Batak and Balinese languages.

In the years between Johann Anton's arrival in Malacca (1789) and the adulthood of his children (around 1827), the family witnessed drastic changes to their lives. They contended with the transfer of administration to the British as "caretakers" in 1795, the wasteful destruction of the Malacca Fort in 1807, the return of Dutch rule in 1818 and eventually the British acquisition in 1824.

By the third generation of the family, the British were firmly established in the Straits Settlements (comprising Penang, Malacca and Singapore) and Malacca had lost its previous importance. At this time, the family began spreading out in numbers to Penang, Taiping, Sabah and Singapore.

Johann Anton's grandson, Alfred, was stationed in Penang as the Siamese Consul. It was his son, Henry Alfred Neubronner (1873-1919) who made another notable contribution to the region's heritage. Henry Alfred was an architect who designed many buildings in Penang between 1900 and 1911. Two examples are the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Dutch ABN-AMRO Bank.

Most of the family could now be found in Singapore and Sabah with smaller groups in Penang and Taiping. While the post-war years saw the migration of several family members to Australia, Britain and the United States, the descendants of Johann Anton continue to thrive and expand essentially in Sabah and Singapore.

A familiar face on television, Jillian Neubronner of CNN is a descendant of Johann Anton.

The highlight of the Neubronner family gathering at Malacca was a luncheon cum exhibition held at the courtyard of the historically acclaimed Stadhuys. With the Malaysian Dutch Descendants Project providing its assistance, the family organiser was able to obtain the co-operation of the Malacca Museum Corporation and Malacca State Government to make this event a success.

There were about 80 participants from the Neubronner family and the guest of honour was the Chief Minister of Malacca.

For the descendants of Johann Anton, using the Stadhuys as the venue of their gathering is appropriately significant as that was probably one of the first place where Johann Anton went, to meet Governor Abraham Couperus, upon reaching Malacca.

After the luncheon, the family visited their ancestral home at Heeren Street, followed by a thanksgiving service at the Christ Church (formerly the Dutch Reformed Church). Before the family left Malacca, they also visited several family graves at Bukit Serindit that goes back to the mid 19th century.

The Neubronner family gathering at Malacca was truly a memorable homecoming and a journey of discovery, not only for the members of the Neubronner family but for all descendants of Malacca's Dutch past.

Pictures of the family gathering at Malacca at the Stadhuys

Mr. Errol Neubronner, the organising chairman addressing
the Chief Minister, officials, press and family members

The Neubronners and friends

The Neubronners : Errol, Jillian and Janice

Dutchmalaysia.net

Official website of the Malaysian Dutch Descendants Project

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